The Pharmacy Program at Southwestern

The College of Pharmacy (COP) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the accrediting agency for Colleges of Pharmacy in the United States, and is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The COP celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1989 and continues to maintain a tradition of excellence in pharmacy education.

The COP offers a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree, which is a 2 + 4 program. Students must complete 2 years of pre-professional study, which includes general education courses as well as prescriptive courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. This is followed by 4 years in the COP at SWOSU in the Pharm. D. program, which includes courses in the pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice and an academic year of full-time experiential education and training. Admission to the Pharm. D. program is competitive. Objective data, particularly performance in required math & science courses, overall GPA, ACT or SAT scores, and PCAT scores are significant. Students are admitted to the Pharm. D. program in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. Each year, approximately 85 students are admitted to the Pharm. D. program.

The primary mission of SWOSU and the COP is teaching. All full-time faculty in the COP have earned a terminal degree in pharmacy and provide instruction in all the courses in the Pharm. D. program. Typically, most didactic classes have approximately 60 students, while most laboratory classes taught within the COP have approximately 20 students.

Graduates of COP continue to perform above average on the NAPLEX, the national licensing examination for pharmacy. In recent years, there has been virtually 100% employment for graduates of the COP at SWOSU. Approximately 30 companies a year recruit students for employment in a variety of areas in pharmacy practice. Salaries for new graduates are typically more than $90,000.

The COP has more than 5,000 alumni. Many are leaders in their community, while others are leaders in the state and have attained national and international recognition.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University is among the top colleges in Oklahoma. The outstanding and unique education you will receive at SWOSU is a result of small class sizes, caring and qualified faculty, accessible technology, and an engaging campus life. As a SWOSU student, you can do hands-on research alongside faculty, prepare for a satisfying and exciting career in almost any field, get degrees from Associate to Doctorate, and participate in a vibrant arts community. Financial aid and scholarships are also available. The focus is you!